Word of the Year nominations open

It’s time to help us select SFGate’s Word of the Year. We’re hoping for a surge of entries.

This is the seventh year that we’ve asked readers for their choice of a word that best encapsulates the prior 12 months. The winners were “nine-eleven” in 2001, “nukular” in 2002, “metrosexual” in 2003, “red state/blue state” in 2004, “hubris” in 2005 and “truthiness” in 2006.

Send us your nominations via the comment link at the bottom of this post. Please include an explanation of why your word or words should be selected. A word doesn’t have to be new, but should have assumed prominence in a new way. Sorry, Facebook and iPhone fans, trademarks aren’t permitted.

In Merriam-Webster’s 2007 Word of the Year contest, the winner was the gamers’ expression of joy “w00t”, but I’d be surprised if that’s the one our readers choose.

The SFGate programming team will select the finalists, giving special consideration to the words that have the most nominations and most cogent explanations. We’ll hold a vote in a poll next week. And if you don’t like the choices … don’t tase me, bro.